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Home , Astronaut, Expedition 5, Expedition 6, Jan Davis, Space Shuttle, Space station

National Aeronautics and Administration

Living and Working in Space stcaf

The more we know about the universe, the more would be unable to walk or stand up when they we learn about ourselves. Every NASA mission return to after months of floating in space. embodies the of discovery. The following information will provide a glimpse of how live their daily lives while learning about the unknown.

Health and Hygiene ASAN Zero and a sunrise every 90 minutes can disrupt an ’s health, both physically and mentally. The crew must combat , claustrophobia and homesickness every day. They also must be prepared for any medical emergencies that may arise.

Astronaut N. spends a moment of her off-duty time aboard the Discovery brushing her hair. Davis, commander, never strayed far from the payload operations checklist, seen attached to the nearby middeck wall.

The crew typically gets eight hours of sleep time after a 16-hour mission day. Just like on Earth, astronauts can have dreams and snore. The excitement and anxiety of being in space, motion sickness and noise from the station or other crew Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, , cuts Cosmonaut Sergei Y. Treschev’s hair in the Zvezda members can disrupt sleeping patterns. Each on the International . astronaut gets a sleep mask and ear plugs to block Treschev holds a device the crew has fashioned out noise and light. to catch freshly cut hair, which is floating freely. Astronauts take sponge baths daily, using two Astronauts don’t have to worry about germs like on washcloths, one for washing and one for rinsing, Earth; the only germs aboard the space shuttle or and use rinseless shampoo to wash their hair. the International Space Station are the ones they and soapsuds stick to the skin in weightless take with them. But that doesn’t mean they won’t conditions, and excess water is suctioned into the get sick. Zero gravity causes the fluids in your body wastewater tank. can be swallowed or to rise to your head, which feels like a constant sucked out, like in the dentist’s office. head cold. The air quality on the shuttle and the station is vital Astronauts are required to exercise two hours per to the astronauts. Without , the crew would day, using the treadmill or stationary bicycle, to get fatigued, black out and die. The Environmental avoid the and muscle deterioration that occurs Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) aboard in zero gravity. Without this exercise, astronauts the station creates oxygen using electrolysis. This process uses -panel-generated electricity to split water The toilet is composed of the toilet bowl and the urine funnel into gas and oxygen gas, just like photosynthesis (gray tube). The astronauts position themselves on the toilet occurs on Earth. The hydrogen is then vented into space. seat using leg-restraints and thigh-bars. The toilet works like a vacuum cleaner with fans that suck air and waste into the The ECLSS must also remove the , acetone and commode. Each astronaut has a personal urinal funnel, which gases, produced by the astronauts, as well as has to be attached to the hose’s adapter. Fans suck air and any gases produced by the experiments. NASA are urine through the funnel and hose into the wastewater tank; currently working on a plant-based system to replace the no flushing is needed. mechanical process. containers are disposable and eating utensils and trays Water is constantly recycled aboard the station. A Russian- are cleaned using moist sanitizing towelettes, eliminating the built water processor takes the humidity and condensation need for a dishwasher or kitchen sink. The galley is a modular from the air and turns it into drinking and bathing water. unit that heats and rehydrates food and beverages. Housing The space shuttle has three decks: the flight deck, the middeck (living quarters) and the life support and housekeeping deck. The middeck is four meters long and 2.7­ 3.7 meters wide. The crew eats, sleeps, bathes and plays here. The area has a toilet, a washbasin, a galley with an oven, lockers, bunk beds and the airlock that leads to the cargo bay. On the space station, the crew members have a little more space, even though most of it is taken up by experiments. The Zvezda Service Module is the primary living quarters for the astronauts and houses the galley, refrigerator/freezer, exercise equipment, sleeping cabin, toilet, washbasin and a kitchen table.

Using the bathroom Astronaut Edward T. Lu, NASA ISS science officer without gravity is a and flight engineer, eats a meal in the Zvezda Service Module on different experience. the International Space Station. The toilet aboard the space station doesn’t Lockers house the astronauts’ personal belongings, including require flushing because personal hygiene items, clothing, books, CDs and anything it has fans that suck air and urine through the else they brought for the trip. funnel and hose into the Sleeping can be a problem when you are weightless. wastewater tank. Astronauts must strap themselves down when they sleep to avoid bumping into things. Station and shuttle crews have sleeping bags that can be attached to a seat or the wall. On the shuttle, there are four sleep sacks. Other crew members can sleep in the commander’s seat or the pilot’s seat or can attach themselves to the wall.

Astronaut Paul W. Richards, STS-102 , is pictured in the Zvezda Service Module in front of one of the sleep stations. Astronaut C. , mission commander and NASA ISS science officer, floats in front of the galley in the Zvezda Service Module on the International Space Station as he fills a Crew Healthcare System Water Microbiology in-flight analysis bag from the potable water dispenser.

Living and Working in Space Instead of sleep sacks, there are two crew cabins aboard Working the station, each accommodating one person. When there Space shuttle and space station crews put in a lot of overtime is a third crew member and the commander allows when they are in space. The average workday for an astronaut everyone to sleep at one time, the astronauts can sleep in space is 16 hours, and they are on call 24 hours a day. anywhere in the station, as long as they attach their sleeping bags to something. The shuttle crew’s activities include conducting experiments, assembling the station and maintaining the shuttle while in Communication space. The shuttle crews also conduct missions that involve When astronauts need to phone home from the space station, the release, capture or repair of . The shuttle’s they use the Softphone via a laptop computer. The system average flight time is two and a half weeks, a short time in uses Internet Protocol (IP) information packets to route the comparison to the six to nine months Expedition crews signals and, when connected, astronauts can use the spend on the station. computer keypad to dial any number and call anyone they The station crew’s main purpose is to conduct research, take wish. They speak through a headset with a microphone. The part in medical experiments and maintain the station. Each distance can mean there is a time lag of up to one second in Expedition crew has its hands full with new and continuing conversations. Standard IP phone systems would disconnect experiments in two labs: the U.S. Destiny Laboratory Module with such a delay, so the Softphone the astronauts use is and the Zvezda Service Module. Two other experiment modules will be added: the Japanese Experiment Module and the European Columbus Laboratory Module. Each lab module houses several experiments researching , , physical and Earth sciences, space and space product development. Astronauts also conduct ongoing experiments on themselves. Monitoring the stresses of extended microgravity and its effects, the station crews will help predict and prevent any adverse, long-term effects that would harm future crews on deep space missions to and beyond. Maintaining the station is a full-time job in itself. The crew is constantly checking the station systems, cleaning air filters and updating computer equipment to keep it in good condition. The crew also has to be ready for emergency repairs, spacewalks and trash duty.

Cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko, Expedition 7 mission commander, uses a communication system in the Zvezda Service Module on the International Space Station. modified for the station. Astronaut television interviews show that same one-second lag. Other inconveniences may include lack of service due to the being out of range or the station blocking the signal. A new digital tool called the Orbital Communications Adapter allows high- data transfers and carries voice and video signals, allowing astronauts to send e-mails to coworkers and family. When astronauts and cosmonauts leave Earth, they also have amateur, or HAM, radio as a constant companion. Since its first flight in 1983, HAM radio has flown on more than two dozen shuttle missions. Dozens of astronauts have used the Space Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment, or SAREX, to talk to thousands of kids in school and to their families on Earth while they were in . They have pioneered space radio Astronaut Edward T. Lu, Expedition 7 NASA ISS science officer and flight experimentation, including television, text messaging and voice engineer, performs routine maintenance on an extravehicular mobility unit communication. The had a similar program for the spacesuit in the Quest airlock on the International Space Station. cosmonauts aboard the Russian space station . When U.S. astronauts were aboard Mir in preparation for the long missions If something breaks or requires new parts on the station, the on the station, they used amateur radio for communication, crew can’t take it to a repairman or call a tow truck. The including emergency messaging while Mir was in distress. astronauts have to be ready to diagnose and repair the station at a moment’s notice. Decays in the station cabin’s atmospheric pressure (leaks) must be tracked down, isolated and fixed.

NASA Facts Communication interference or loss must be reestablished. An Astronaut’s Day in Space Power must be restored, and sometimes these minor crises On weekdays, the astronauts keep busy with their daily could call for a spacewalk. routine of experiments, planning, meals and exercise. Spacewalks require astronauts to float more than 200 miles A typical day is planned with Mission Control. The timeline above the Earth in pressurized suits. The station spacesuits below demonstrates the strict time schedule astronauts have been modified from the shuttle’s extravehicular mobility follow: unit, allowing more movement, versatility and usage. • An average day on the station starts with breakfast, Before going out into space or putting on the spacesuit, the personal hygiene, housecleaning and checking the daily spacewalker must decompress to avoid “the bends.” schedule on a laptop computer. sickness occurs when nitrogen bubbles form • Next, blood samples are drawn for analysis later in the in the bloodstream or tissues. Decompression consists of a day and a daily conference is conducted with Mission 2-hour and 20-minute pre-breathe protocol involving Control to make sure everyone knows what is scheduled high-intensity exercise and breathing pure oxygen. This is throughout the day. similar to the process scuba divers must follow after a deep sea dive. • A routine air quality check is taken and the crew begins work on allotted experiments. Station astronauts begin the pre-breathe protocol by • Later, another air quality check is done and the crew hits exercising vigorously on the station’s cycle ergometer for 10 the treadmill and exercise bike for a two-hour daily minutes while breathing pure oxygen via an . exercise regimen. The entire crew then meets for lunch in After 50 minutes of breathing pure oxygen, including the 10 the Zvezda Service Module. minutes initially spent exercising, the pressure in the station’s airlock will be lowered to 10.2 pounds per square inch (psi). • After lunch, the crew receives a one-hour break and then During airlock depressurization, the spacewalkers will it’s back to work, doing routine maintenance on the breathe pure oxygen for an additional 30 minutes. At the end station, conducting research and working on experiments. of those 30 minutes, with the airlock now at 10.2 psi, the • Afterward, the cabin’s air pressure is checked and the spacewalkers will put on their spacesuits. Once their crew does a few more laps on the treadmill. spacesuits are on, the spacewalkers will breathe pure • Next, tasks are finished, experiments cleaned and station oxygen inside the suits for an additional 60 minutes before systems checked. making final preparations to leave the station and begin their • The crew then eats and has another daily planning spacewalk. Astronauts follow a repressurization protocol conference to prepare for the next day. after the spacewalk. • Finally, the crew has free time to get ready for bed and rest for the next busy day ahead. On the weekends, the crew does housecleaning and works on the station’s miscellaneous to-do list.

Exploration of Space Accelerates Innovation on Earth The definition of living in space has changed dramatically since earlier spaceflight missions. During the Program (1961-63), the first six astronauts in space accumulated less than 54 collective mission hours. The longest mission () lasted 12 days, 13 hours and 52 minutes. The longest space shuttle mission (STS-80, 1996) lasted 17 days, 15 hours and 53 minutes. The ’s longest residential duration was 84 days, and the Expedition 7 crew lived on the space station for over six months. The station has provided several insights into the effects of zero gravity on the human body, information that is vital to and long-term space travel. Astronaut Donald R. Pettit, NASA ISS science officer, Plans for colonization of the and Mars will move the uses a camera after performing P-1 Truss launch lock releases on the duration into years and, perhaps one day, into generations. International Space Station during a spacewalk.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson , Texas 77058 www..gov

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